Photographic journey of the Blue Mountains in Australia and beyond….

Fog in the Blue Mountains

morning fog surround the 3 Sisters

If you happen to be up in wee hours of the morning when conditions are just right, your bound to see some …..foggy goodness. Though it can be hard to predict at times, some mornings I’d swear conditions were perfect, yet nothing. And other times I’d see the valley choca bloc full of the stuff, grrrrrr. Generally speaking there needs to be humid conditions, near 100% in order for the fog to settle in valley. Commonly known as radiation fog it is formed by the cooling of land after sunset by thermal (infrared) radiation in calm conditions with a clear sky. The cool ground produces condensation in the nearby air by heat conduction. Radiation fogs occur generally at night, and usually does not last long after sunrise, though with the right conditions it can last passed midday in the valleys. Radiation fog is common in autumn, and early winter. And the effect, well that’s just stunning to behold….

I often find myself thinking that the fog takes on the appearance of how the valley would have looked when water filled them. Some mornings you would swear there was an ocean below you, an ocean of white fog that you could walk on……So if you do find yourself up early in the morning with a bit of time to kill, go take a look as it might be one of the better sights you’ll see in a long time….